The Wings of the Beautifully Fallen

Chapter 37: Illiana

Chapter 37: Illiana

"Mama! Mama!" A child's voice called and I turned to seethe same girl running up to me, her arms circling my legs once more. Her brown hair fell across her shoulders as her blue eyes looked up at me in the same expectant gaze. We were in my room again, the one besides Reginald's room.

No. This could not be happening.

Everything was the exact same, just like the other one. It could not be true. I did not want to be here.

My hand went against my will, lifting and resting on the child's head, stroking her hair and smiled down at her.

"Mommy! You promised! Remember? You promised we could have tea together!" Her grip tightened around my leg, her eyes staring up at me with hope, pleading for me to say yes.

"Of course, Stella. Shall we have it outside?" I had no control. I could not stop the words, I could not stop the glee that appeared in the girl's eyes as her grip around my leg disappeared and slid over to my hand as she pulled me behind her, singing her happiness as she tugged me out of the room and down the hall. I knew where we were going and I tried to stop her, tried to pull away, to tell her to go somewhere else other than the maze but nothing I did would change what was going to happen.

The girl tugged me behind her, following the openings of the maze that she had pulled me into. Turn after turn and the dread only grew, I knew what would happen and there was nothing that could stop it. Sure enough, we had arrived and he was there, standing, sneering at me with a knife in his hand.

"It has been a long time, daughter." The words held the same greedy desire, the same plead for death and I could do nothing but stand there in horror, unable to move as he walked forward, the blade twisting in his hand, sunlight glinting off of it.

"Please." That was all I could say as he towered over me, his eyes glaring down at me in hatred, far different than any look that I had come accustomed to here. His arm shot forward faster than I could imagine and the blade plummeted into my gut.

"Illiana!" A hand gently tapped my cheek and my eyes flew open, staring up into the worried eyes of my husband as he stood over me, his face almost touching mine. Relief flooded through him and his hand rested against the left side of my head, his thumb gently caressing my cheek. "Thank goodness."

"Reginald?" I whispered and he gave me a small smile, his head leaning forward, his lips pressing against my forehead. What was he doing here? I knew that I was sick, but I guess I was surprised that he was still here.

"You were thrashing in your sleep, so I was worried." He muttered, his hand slipping from my cheek as he leaned back, his eyes turning away.

The nightmare. I had no idea that it frightened me so much that I reacted in the real world. A part of me felt horrible for making him worry. Not just about the dream, but everything. I was confused with the feelings inside of me and I was not sure what to make of them. Of any of them.

"I am sorry." I told him and he huffed.

Leaning backwards, his eyes turned to me once more, his hands fishing into his pockets as he pulled something out and held it out for me.

"My bracelet." I whispered, seeing the brown fabric dangling from his hand as he smiled in relief.

"Next time you lose something, tell me." His hands slid around my wrist, gently lifting it and tying it on there, slightly tighter than what I had, but not to the point that it was hurting. I stared at the brown string that stood in contrast to my skin. Once again, he pulled through for me, helped me in a way that I could not help myself. "I want to help you, Illiana, with anything, no matter how trivial you might think I will see it. I want to be here for you." I knew that, I really did, but it did not change that he was busy, that I could not find him. In the end, I had to admit to myself that I did not know if I would have told him. "Illiana, I am being serious. You need to tell me these things."